The present invention relates to gutter systems used to collect rain water and, more particularly, to a gutter cap that directs water into the gutter while preventing debris from entering the gutter.
A typical gutter system is mounted just below the edge of a roof of a house or building and is used to collect rain water and direct the rain water away from the house or building. The gutters are normally mounted generally parallel to the ground so that the collected water flows through the gutters in a direction generally parallel to the ground until the flowing water reaches down spouts, which are generally parallel to the gutters. The water flows into the down spouts, which direct the water downward and ultimately in a direction away from the house or building.
As water flows into the gutters, debris such as leaves, sticks and pine straw, for example, is often carried by the water flow into the gutters. Wind and rain can also cause debris to fall directly into the gutters from, for example, trees that extend above the roof. Such debris can clog the gutters and down spouts and thus prevent the gutter system from performing its intended purpose of directing water away from the house or building. This can damage the gutter system and/or the house or building.
To prevent debris and other material or items from clogging gutters and/or down spouts of gutter systems, gutter caps have been developed that at least partially cover the gutters and prevent debris from entering the gutter system, or at least lessen the amount of debris that falls into the gutters to the extent that the aforementioned clogging problems are prevented. Examples of devices that are designed for this purpose are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,672,832, 4,404,775, 4,435,925, 4,796,390, 5,016,404, 5,216,851 and 5,457,916.
Existing gutter shielding devices (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cgutter capsxe2x80x9d) have various disadvantages. One major disadvantage is that existing gutter caps, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,916, for example, attach directly to the gutter, which means that if the gutter bends or is deformed or damaged in some way (e.g., as a result of the force of rain and/or wind), the cap will likely also be deformed or damaged. Also, such caps typically attach to the front lip of the gutter and the aesthetic nature of the gutter system can be compromised due to scratches on the gutters and/or the gutter caps that occur when the caps are being attached (e.g., by screws) to the gutters.
Existing gutter caps that attach directly to the gutters often have slot openings formed at particular locations in them that are intended to allow water to flow through the cap into the gutter while blocking debris so that the debris doesn""t enter the gutter and clog up the gutter and impede the flow of water through the gutter. One of the problems associated with caps that have slot openings formed in them for this purpose is that debris can get caught in these openings and block them, thereby preventing water from flowing into the gutter, or limiting the amount of water that is allowed to enter the gutter.
Another problem associated with some existing gutter caps is that they are designed and manufactured only to work with one particular gutter system. In this case, if the consumer wants a gutter cap, the consumer has no choice but to use the gutter cap that is designed specifically for use with the particular gutter system. Therefore, existing gutters cannot be retrofitted with these gutter caps if the gutters are of a type other than the particular type for which the cap is designed.
Another problem associated with some existing gutter caps is that they are single-piece caps. If the cap is damaged in one or more locations, the entire cap, as opposed to a portion of the cap, must be replaced in order to repair the gutter system. Of course replacing the entire cap can be expensive, and typically would be more expensive than replacing a five or six-foot gutter cap section.
A need exists for a gutter cap that is capable of maintaining its design even when a deformity to the gutter to which the cap is coupled exists or occurs, that can be easily installed without affecting the aesthetic appearance of the gutter, that maximizes the amount of water that enters the gutter system and that prevents debris from entering the gutter system, or at least minimizes the likelihood that debris will impede the flow of water in the gutter system.
The present invention provides various embodiments of a gutter cap and a locking system that couples the gutter cap to the gutter. Because the gutter cap is not directly fastened to the gutter by the locking system, as is the case with many prior art designs, the cap is allowed to move slightly with respect to the gutter, and vice versa. This feature of the present invention reduces the likelihood that movement of the gutter will result in damage to the gutter cap, and vice versa. In accordance with the present invention, the coupling of the cap to the gutter is accomplished by using one or more clips that are configured to secure the cap to the gutter at one or more locations in a way that allows the gutter and the cap to move independently of one another. Furthermore, because the gutter cap of the present invention is not directly fastened to the hem edge of the gutter, as is the case with most prior art gutter caps, more water flows off of the cap into the gutter than with prior art systems that have the cap fastened directly to the hem edge of the gutter. In addition, the end of the cap preferably comprises angled breaks that cause the water to adhere to the cap end as it flows about the cap end before it falls into the gutter trough. The result is that the amount of water that flows off of the cap without entering the gutter trough is lessened in comparison to existing gutter cap designs.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.